The present invention relates to an attachment mounting plate used with skid steer loaders that includes a quick attachment bracket so that quick attachment tools that are used with excavators and backhoe booms can be used with skid steer loaders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,706 shows an attachment bracket of the type shown on the mounting plate in the present application. The attachment bracket is adapted for mounting onto the arm of an excavator or backhoe, which in turn receives and mounts a frame. A version of the attachment bracket device that uses a fastener for securing the frame on the bracket is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,535. Both of these patents show prior art devices that are used for mounting various tools on excavator or backhoe booms. The tools can be used with skid steer loaders with the present invention.
When tools or attachments that are used on one prime mover, such as an excavator, also can be quickly mounted on a skid steer loader, efficiencies are produced, inventory of tools needed is reduced and the tool becomes more universally usable. Mounting an attachment bracket on the loader mounting plate permits using various tools that have mounting frames on them and which are used with other machines, such as backhoes or excavators.
The present invention relates to mounting an attachment bracket on a loader accessory or attachment mounting plate that permits quickly mounting tools that have a mating frame. Such tools include hydraulic breakers, vibrating plate compactors, earth augers, grapples, specialized buckets, cutter crushers, and trenchers, for example. The tools thus are usable with skid steer loaders as well as other prime movers so versatility and tool utilization are increased.
The loader mounting plate that supports the tool in turn is supported on the boom or arms of a skid steer loader and can be tilted under control of a hydraulic actuator about a horizontal pivot.
Skid steer loaders, such as those sold under the trademark BOBCAT(copyright) by Bobcat/Ingersoll-Rand, have long used a quick change attachment plate on the outer ends of the arms or boom of the skid steer loader, and which has latch members that will positively hold an accessory mounting plate in position. The adapter or mounting plate is used to mount an accessory or work attachment and when the accessory is removed and a new accessory installed, the new accessory has a different mounting plate. The loader mounting plates have been used for mounting various implements.
It has been found that the ability to mount tools that have frames which mount onto quick attachment brackets on backhoe booms, excavator booms, or the like for direct mounting to a mating bracket on the skid steer loaders increases the usefulness of the tools, and widens their application without specialized mounting brackets or frames. The common mounting frame not only increases the use of the tools, but also provides additional uses for the skid steer loader.
The mounting or adapter plates have been used for mounting attachments for loaders, such as brooms, powered earth augers, backhoes, and various kinds of buckets, as well as concrete breakers and many landscape tools. The present invention relates to the use of one mounting plate for mounting a quick change bracket that will receive a mating frame supported on specialized buckets, cutter crushers, hydraulic breakers, vibrating plate compactors, earth augers, grapples, trenchers and other tools and permit such tool or bucket to be secured in place quickly and easily.
The quick change bracket on the mounting plate of a loader is standardized in configuration for receiving a wide range of tools that also mount onto backhoe arms or booms or excavator booms at the present time.